Shloka 19
Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)
तेष्वनीकेषु भग्नेषु विद्रवत्सु समन््तत:ः । प्राग्ज्योतिषस्ततो भीमं कुज्जरेण समाद्रवत्,इस प्रकार उन सेनाओंके व्यूह भंग होने तथा चारों ओर भागनेपर प्राग्ज्योतिषपुरके राजा भगदत्तने अपने हाथीके द्वारा भीमसेनपर धावा किया
teṣv anīkeṣu bhagneṣu vidravatsu samantataḥ | prāgjyotiṣas tato bhīmaṁ kuñjareṇa samādravat ||
Sañjaya said: When those battle-formations had been broken and the troops were fleeing in all directions, the king of Prāgjyotiṣa, Bhagadatta, then charged at Bhīmasena with his elephant. The scene underscores how, amid the collapse of order in war, commanders attempt to restore momentum through decisive, high-risk assaults.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical tension in epic warfare: when collective discipline collapses and soldiers flee, leaders may attempt to reassert order through personal valor and decisive action. It reflects the kṣatriya ideal of confronting danger directly, even amid chaos.
After the army formations are shattered and troops scatter, Bhagadatta, the king of Prāgjyotiṣa, mounts an aggressive counter-move by charging Bhīmasena with his war-elephant, shifting the focus to a direct clash between prominent warriors.